


Drown You In Happiness

by Finnthebunneh



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, And suffering, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kuroo is very much in love, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Sexual Tension, and hates Terushima with great passion, drunk Daichi (it was an accident but he's very cute), lots of kisses, many flustered faces, slow build I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 18:01:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15954626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finnthebunneh/pseuds/Finnthebunneh
Summary: Kuroo Tetsurou, second year in college, had been asked out a few times since high school but never dated anyone.Kuroo Tetsurou, volleyball player with his natural look capable in getting anyone he desired, had zero experience in love but a solid hopeless crush on his friend.Hands gripping on the toilet’s countertop, head hung between his stretched-out arms, Kuroo took deep breaths in hope to calm himself. Flashback to Daichi’s gaze on his mouth and licking his finger off, Kuroo cursed and opened the faucet with too much strength. He bent down, splashed water on his burning face repeatedly and breathed.“Get a grip of yourself, Tetsu,” he whispered to himself.He stared at the mirror. His face was now pink-colored, the hair fallen in front of his face wet. He took some paper and dried himself before patting his cheeks lightly.“Okay, you can do this.”Unable to confess his feelings, Kuroo tries to give up on Daichi despite having grown closer to him. Meanwhile, he never noticed Daichi's gaze following him, noticing the little things happening between them.





	1. Chapter 1

Kuroo was annoyed. Irritated, to be exact.

He had been trying to focus on the match they were playing against the other college team, but one of the players at the other side of the net was straight-out messing with him. Actually, that man wasn’t even aware that his actions were pissing Kuroo off which was even more enraging.

It all started a little bit before the match begun.

Both team were warming up, some doing stretches while others practiced their serves. Kuroo went to pick up a ball that had rolled near the net when he noticed a player from the opposite team staring at Kuroo’s side of the net.

Kuroo followed the blonde-haired guy’s gaze and his brows furrowed. There were many things happening with people running from one side of the court to another, players picking up balls and the manager making sure everything was settled and every player was ready; however, Kuroo couldn’t have mistaken for a single moment.

That blonde player was fixated on Sawamura Daichi.

Kuroo had always been quite fond of the country boy. True, the latter sometimes picked on his nerves, but deep down, he enjoyed those moments where they fooled around with each other. Ever since the battle of the Trash Heap was over, Kuroo realized his feelings toward Sawamura Daichi might not be only limited to friendship.

Catching himself thinking about Daichi’s laugh, listening to music while wondering if Daichi would also like this particular song, making himself a meal and wonder if Daichi had eaten already or what was he doing at that moment, Kuroo spent many nights awake trying to figure out his feelings until one day Kenma showed him a picture sent by Hinata.

The picture showed the Karasuno crows taking a break from practise. All the third years were at the front of the shot with Hinata, a crying Tanaka and Nishinoya at the back. The caption read “ _Graduation is close!!! Making memories with my sempais ; o ;_ ”. Daichi was looking at the camera, all smiles and sweaty, a white towel hanging around his neck.

Kuroo didn’t notice his heart clenched and the breath he was holding upon seeing that picture, but Kenma sure did and questioned Kuroo’s flushed face in which he quickly blamed on the hot weather. He wanted to see Daichi. He wanted to hold Daichi in his arms. He wanted Daichi to look at him with that bright simile of his. He missed Daichi.

As if by some miracle, they ended up attending the same college. They both had a huge surprise when they found out they were on the same volleyball team and the surprise followed on when Bokuto showed up in the gym as lively as ever even though he was late. Kuroo was thrilled, not only because one of his best friends was also attending the same college, but the excitement and happiness was also due to the fact that he will be able to spend his college years alongside his crush.

Over time, Kuroo’s affection for Daichi had only grown insanely that even the clueless Bokuto had found out about his best buddy’s lonesome pinning. That being said, having a stranger checking out his crush across the net pissed Kuroo off.

As he bent down to pick up the ball, Kuroo heard the blonde blow a low whistle, his eyes never leaving Daichi.

“He’s cute… look at those thighs too,” he said, still not moving from his spot.

Kuroo turned to the blonde with a deadly glare, picked up his ball with such force the ball could almost explode from his grip. The blonde man looked startled for a second before Kuroo walked away, pushing Daichi further away from the net, making sure his height can hide Daichi for the several minutes before the match started.

As the game moved on, Kuroo noticed something.

The blonde man was constantly spiking the ball in Daichi’s area and wasn’t even mad when Daichi effortlessly received them; in fact, he was smiling. Then it struck him.

That pierced blonde guy was purposely spiking toward Daichi to make his crush bend down and save the ball, thus exposing his thighs even more, giving him an eyeful of Daichi’s muscles.

The worst part was whenever Daichi successfully received that spike, a challenging smile would be shown on Daichi’s face, making the blonde guy grin wider and try even harder.

Something snapped in Kuroo.

“ **GIVE IT TO ME** ,” he shouted as the ball flew up.

Startled just as the rest of the team, the setter did as told as no one ever heard Kuroo raise his voice in  such a furious way. Kuroo slammed the ball with everything he got, it flew past the blonde’s face, almost brushing his cheeks. It scored, Bokuto throwing himself on Kuroo excitedly and Daichi swore that spike could’ve been ranked second right after Ushijima. Heck, it looked more powerful than Oikawa’s.

With the last point scored by Bokuto, they won the game. They lined up to shake hands with the opposite team and as everyone shook hands with each other, it was Daichi’s turn to shake hands with the blondie.

“Although I’m quite sad that we lost, that was a _great_ game,” said the blonde with a grin. “What’s your name?”

“DON’T—" Kuroo started, but was two seconds late.

“…Sawamura Daichi,” said the country boy with a confused look as to why someone who just lost a game would be smiling that much and he had been holding his hand for a little too long.

The blonde repeated Daichi’s name a few times quietly, as if making sure he’ll remember it. Then, he introduced himself cheerfully, “I’m Terushima Yuuji!”

Kuroo slapped Terushima’s hand and held it in his, squeezing it with so much strength while showing his best smile.

“Well, Terushima, let’s not drag this ceremony longer than necessary, shall we?”

 

* * *

  

“Kuroo, are you feeling okay?”

Daichi had stopped changing himself after his shower before looking at Kuroo standing next to him, chugging his water while his free hand was looking for something in his locker.

“I’m good,” he said without glancing at Daichi.

“You were in a bad mood ever since the beginning of the match. What’s wrong?”

Kuroo’s gaze finally met Daichi’s and the latter couldn’t tell Kuroo’s expression. He looked unamused. Usually Kuroo would be happier after they won a game. He would be showing that famous smirk of his and prompt everyone to get changed so they can all go eat at a nearby food stand to celebrate.

“Nothing, just a lack of sleep,” he said casually.

Daichi came closer and bent down so he could see Kuroo’s face. Kuroo looked surprised for a moment. Daichi smirked.

“What’s this? Were you that nervous about this match?”

Kuroo’s cheeks were slightly pink. Daichi was standing so close, his round brown eyes watching Kuroo closely. His short hair was dripping wet and he was still half naked. If only Daichi knew that Kuroo was restraining himself from putting a hand on Daichi’s cheek and tilt his head so he could brush Daichi’s lips with his. Kuroo quickly turned his head away.

“No way, I was finishing up my lab report.”

“The Kuroo I know never procrastinated,” noted Daichi.

Bokuto pooped his head from his locker door, his brows severely frowned.

“Bro, we were on the phone yesterday night?"

He watched Kuroo flinch to that comment then straightened his back and cleared his throat rather loudly.

“Anyhow, BO!”

At Kuroo’s call, Bokuto slammed his locker off, reached his arm in Daichi’s locker and threw Daichi’s shirt to Kuroo who, in a smooth motion, put it on Daichi. A towel was then thrown on his wet hair and he could feel Kuroo’s big hands rubbing it roughly.

“Ow! Kuroo, what the hell!” Daichi protested.

He heard Bokuto laugh loudly and said, “That’s what you get for being that clueless! And be grateful that Kuroo haven’t killed that dude back there or—"

Daichi’s mind hadn’t processed Bokuto’s words entirely when Kuroo’s hand went to rub around Daichi’s ears messily and said, “Stay still, Sawamura. Better dry that hair if you don’t wanna catch a cold later. Be thankful that I’m doing this for you for free.”

Daichi couldn’t see Kuroo’s face, but his voice sounded lighter and the hands on his head was gentler.

“Who would even pay for you to do this?” Daichi teased.

Kuroo gasped exaggeratedly and removed the towel. Daichi’s hair was all over the place and for a moment, he swore Kuroo had a faint smile on his face, his gaze soft and kind before his usual grin showed up.

“I’ll have you know that girls wouldn’t hesitate to pay me for drying their hair,” he said confidently.

“Why would they do that when they can already witness your failed technique on your own hair?”

“Hey! It’s called style!” Kuroo corrected him.

“That consists of a bird nest.”

Kuroo pouted, a hand reaching for Daichi’s hair. Daichi saw the hand hesitate for a second. Usually he’d slap any hand away when anyone tried to touch him, but today, he felt like letting Kuroo do as he pleased.

He subtly tilted his head toward Kuroo’s hand and felt his fingers slide through his hair, combing it with care. Surprisingly, it felt really good, Daichi almost closed his eyes and got swept away from the sensation.

“…how do I look?” he asked when he felt Kuroo’s fingers leave.

“As handsome as ever.”

That reply provoked a faint flush on Daichi’s face. Their teammates would think that Kuroo was teasing Daichi, but from the latter’s perspective, Kuroo didn’t seem to be joking if judged by his genuine smile and tender eyes staring at him.

Daichi wasn’t sure what to do in a situation like this. He wasn’t used to people complimenting him; he wasn’t as tall as most volleyball players and his face wasn’t particularly attractive. He had a very popular brown short hair, round chestnut eyes and not any skills worth mentioning in his opinion. He was naturally plain.

He was saved when Bokuto shoved his bags on his shoulder and said, rather seriously, “Kuroo, do you need some gel to immortalize your art?”

Daichi looked right into Kuroo’s eyes, a gorgeous smile on his face. Kuroo knows that smile of his couldn’t mean anything good.

“If you put a single drop of gel on my hair, you are dead. Are we clear?”

Kuroo gulped. Daichi secretly enjoyed making Kuroo feel uncomfortable like this, sometimes he wondered if it was because of his past years managing those Karasuno first years and the two troublesome second years. He missed those volleyball idiots.

“Kuroo, are you free after this?”

“I’m always free for you,” he replied with a smirk after putting his blazer on.

Daichi rolled his eyes. Kuroo had been saying these kinds of replies a few months after they found each other in college and so far, Daichi’s replies consisted in slapping his arm or rolling his eyes at him. Deep inside him, he was still unsure about how to reply to those comebacks.

“Do you want to stop by that restaurant we saw this morning? My treat.”

“Oooh~! Is this a date?”

Kuroo’s voice sounded excited and Daichi could swear his eyes gleamed for a moment. Daichi actually had a report to work on, but Kuroo’s previous bad mood bothered him and he felt bad leaving Kuroo alone at that. Food made everyone happy, not to mention the salted mackerels, so it should work on Kuroo too.

“Are you coming or not?” Daichi asked again, unaffected.

“Of course I’m coming!” Kuroo exclaimed happily.

“Bokuto, do you wanna come along?” Daichi asked as he zipped his blazer and put his bag on his shoulder.

Bokuto put his phone in his pocket and grabbed his bag. He turned to them and showed them a smile so bright, Daichi never knew that owl could smile like that.

“Nah! I’m meeting Akaashi after this. You guys enjoy the food without me!”

 “Say hi to Akaashi for me,” Kuroo said.

“Yup, yup!” Bokuto rushed to the door and before disappearing, he paused and looked at Kuroo with a straight face. “Don’t screw up your chance, bro!”

“GET LOST ALREADY, BO!”

Confused, Daichi looked at Kuroo. He had one hand covering his eyes, his cheeks red. Sometimes Daichi couldn’t understand Bokuto and Kuroo’s conversations, he thought maybe it was due to their close friendship.

“What was Bokuto referring to?”

“Don’t mind him, Sawamura.” He proceeded to push Daichi slowly toward the exit. “Food first, food first.”

 

* * *

  

Daichi loved family restaurants. The atmosphere was warm and the tatami looked more comfortable and inviting than some metal chairs. He was sitting across the table, facing Kuroo. Their food just arrived, a bowl of rice with a variety of side dishes filling their small table.

Daichi pushed a big plate of salted mackerel closer to Kuroo who looked at him curiously.

“I asked them to double the portion,” said Daichi casually.

He wasn’t aware that Kuroo could detect the slight embarrassment on his face and the thought of Daichi ordering his favorite dish, asking them to make it double just for him, was enough to make him want to hide his face and roll on the floor out of happiness.

“Next time I’ll treat you some shoyu ramen,” Kuroo promised. “You get to eat as many bowls as you want.”

Daichi started digging in and with a mouthful of food, he said, “I don’t remember telling you that I liked shoyu ramen.”

Daichi’s cheeks were so full, he looked like a chipmunk. Rather than handsome, he was deadly cute in Kuroo’s eyes, so much Kuroo wanted to smack them with kisses.

“It’s not hard to guess when everytime we go to that ramen shop you always order the same thing when there’s fifty other options.”

Embarrassment was shown on the country boy’s face, his eyes avoiding Kuroo’s and his ears burning.

“I can’t help it, their shoyu ramen is really good, okay?”

Kuroo’s smile softened, his chopsticks grabbing on a salted mackerel and adding it in Daichi’s bowl.

“Have some too, I’ll feel bad if I eat it all by myself”, he said. After a few mouthfuls of rice and side dishes, he added, “Really, Sawamura, whenever you feel like eating some shoyu ramen, just let me know, I’ll treat you.”

Ever since Daichi started college, he noticed how much he disliked eating alone. He came from a home where breakfast and supper were shared with a warm family and lunches with great friends. He had gotten used to eating alone during college, but he preferred far more to be sharing his food with someone. He often shared his lunchtime with Kuroo and Bokuto, but sometimes group projects or last minute inconvenience would have them excusing themselves to Daichi for their absence.

Now that Daichi thought about it, whenever they couldn’t eat lunch together, Kuroo would show up in front of Daichi’s apartment with or without food late at night. Sometimes they cooked together, Daichi discovering that Kuroo was actually a really good cook and learned a few recipes from him.

Daichi’s heart warmed at that realization and said with a small voice, “You’ll get broke if you keep that promise to me.”

Kuroo swallowed his food and looked at Daichi whose cheeks were more than full and slightly pink.

“It’s worth every penny,” Kuroo said softly.

The room suddenly felt too warm for a fine autumn evening as the air was cut short in Daichi’s lungs. He chocked on his food and coughed, bumping his chest repeatedly with his fist still gripping on his chopsticks.

Kuroo handed hurriedly a glass of water to Daichi who chugged it instantly. A relieved expression was shown on Kuroo’s face, Daichi wanting to die from all the embarrassment he had been feeling since they stepped inside the restaurant. Why was Kuroo looking at him with such tenderness in his eyes? Lately, he had been catching Kuroo looking frequently at him with that expression, sometimes with a faint of sadness in which Daichi couldn’t understand why.

“We just won a match and we haven’t ordered dessert yet, so you can’t die on me now, Sawamura,” Kuroo said as he proceeded to grab more side dishes and putting them in Daichi’s bowl. “Don’t just eat rice, you need more nutrients to preserve those muscles of yours.”

“Are you really concerned about my muscles or are you planning to get me fat?”

“And here I was being nice…” Kuroo said while brushing off a fake tear with his finger. “I can take all the meat and leave you the veggies if you’re that bothered.”

Daichi watched as the mountain of veggies and meat increased in his bowl. Watching Kuroo humming and adding more food over his rice reminded Daichi how often he had seen Kuroo do this: grabbing food and adding it in Daichi’s bowl.

He tried to remember everytime they ate together—whether at home or outside—and every single time, Daichi recalled Kuroo humming and putting food in Daichi’s bowl. If Bokuto was there, he’d say he did it before Bokuto could finish up every single plate before they could ask for seconds. Then, there was that time when they went to eat ramen and Kuroo gave half of his noodles to Daichi, saying that he wasn’t that hungry or his portion was too much.

“To think that Bokuto refused food over a meeting with Akaashi… that’s unexpected,” Daichi muttered to himself while staring at his bowl, unsure how to dig in.

“Well, between food with your friends and a date with your lover, you’d choose your lover, no?” Kuroo said while finishing up the last bits of his mackerel.

“Excuse me?”

“Lover. Bokuto and Akaashi are dating.”

There was a silence between them for a few seconds before Daichi slowly opened his mouth.

“As in romantically?” he questioned.

“Yeah, Bokuto liked Akaashi for a long time and actually managed to confess during his graduation. You should’ve seen his text messages, he used caps lock for a month whenever he texted me. No, wait, he was already using it before his confession.”

Daichi was staring blankly at Kuroo, unsure what to say or react. He never thought Bokuto would be dating anyone, less alone Akaashi of all people.

“Are you… bothered by it?”

The words came out hesitantly from Kuroo’s mouth, his voice uncertain. Daichi’s eyes noticed Kuroo’s long fingers gripping tightly on his chopsticks and the tense muscles on his jaw.

“I’m not,” Daichi said while tilting his head slightly on the side. “Rather, I was taken by surprise. That explains why earlier Bokuto was smiling that much.”

Kuroo’s hand relaxed for a second before clenching it again. Daichi wondered if Kuroo was aware of it himself.

“You don’t mind two men dating?” he asked cautiously.

Daichi tilted his head to the other side as he chewed on his food.

“Are we not dating as well?” he said before swallowing his mouthful.

Kuroo’s eyes widened, his chopsticks nearly fell from his hand.

“Huh?”

There was a dark pink colouring Kuroo’s cheeks. It was Daichi’s first time seeing him like this and he was surprised to notice that he enjoyed this side of Kuroo. He looked like an innocent man in terms of love, nothing like the smug bad boy people would assume from his appearance.

“You said this was a date when I invited you to this restaurant. Earlier. When we were changing.”

“I was—" Kuroo hurried to reply, but the right words never left his mouth. Instead, the words that came out were “…just teasing you”.

Daichi caught that moment when Kuroo’s eyes wanted to scream something at him, but couldn’t. It was just a fraction of a second, but enough for Daichi to feel heaviness in his chest.

He grabbed a piece of fried sweet potato and dropped it in Kuroo’s bowl. It was one of Kuroo’s favorites and there was more than enough in his own bowl. Kuroo eyes went from his bowl to Daichi.

“If both men have affection for each other, I don’t see an issue with them dating,” Daichi explained calmly, transferring more fried sweet potatoes in Kuroo’s bowl. “After all, when two people are in love with each other, isn’t it natural for them to want to be together?”

Daichi couldn’t remember when was the first time it happened. However, he was certain that his sudden need for air and the loud thumping in his heart happening whenever he saw Kuroo’s loving smile was happening for a great deal of time recently, and he caught himself staring back at Kuroo without being able to reply anything; just like this moment, as Kuroo held a piece of fried sweet potato between his chopsticks and softly agreeing with Daichi.

 

* * *

  

Kuroo laid lazily on his bed after walking Daichi back to his apartment. His forearms resting on his eyes, he let out a long sigh. Even with his eyes closed, he could still see Daichi in the changing room, droplets of water falling from his wet hair, his broad shoulders brushing lightly on Kuroo’s arm when he turned back to wave goodbye to a teammate and those sweet brown eyes looking up at him when he removed the towel from his face.

He never thought his college life alongside Daichi would be such a bless and a massive curse at the same time. There wasn’t a moment when Daichi tilted his head up to look at Kuroo and the latter didn’t restrain himself from lowering his height and press his own lips on Daichi’s. That being said, recently it had been taking him a great deal to control himself from squishing Daichi’s cheeks and shower him with kisses whenever he saw his reddened cheeks.

Kuroo thought about Daichi’s eating face and unconsciously smiled giddily. It was illegally cute and always made Kuroo want to feed him more.

Back at the restaurant, he wasn’t expecting the conversation to end up like it did and truthfully, it scared him as much as he wanted to know Daichi’s opinion.

He was content with being able to spend his lunch time with Daichi, to visit him whenever he had free time and to play volleyball with him; however, more than anything, he wanted to be Daichi’s most important person. He wanted to be able to hold Daichi close, to share his passion and to wake up with him in his arms. He wanted to walk through every obstacle with Daichi next to him.

But he was a scaredy-cat who couldn’t confess his feelings to Daichi. He kept everything to himself and pretended everything was fine while it was eating him from the inside as the days passed by.

Pretend. He was good at that.

Kuroo rolled to his side, hugged his futon and groaned. His heart was barely hanging there and he’s emotionally tired. Bokuto suggested more than once to Kuroo to confess his feelings to Daichi, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. What if he was rejected? He’d lose everything, even their friendship.

Before his own mind consumed him with darkness, his phone rang. He reached a hand to his table and picked it up, only to see a message from Daichi. Three short messages:

_Hey. Hope you’re digesting all that food nicely._

_Are you free next Friday?_

_A classmate’s birthday. I can’t refuse, so bringing a friend with me to suffer together._

A chortle escaped from Kuroo’s mouth. He typed his reply right away and even though deep down he knew he should stay away from Daichi if he was never going to confess, it was simply impossible for him to refuse a favor from his crush.

Last time. This will be the last time.

After this, he’ll let go.


	2. Chapter 2

“You don’t drink, yet you agreed going to an izakaya to celebrate that classmate’s birthday party?” Kuroo asked skeptically.

“I told you I owed him a favor, otherwise I would have refused the moment he invited me,” Daichi said lazily, his voice containing a fair amount of discourage. “I’d rather stay at home.”

They walked side by side, the cold wind blowing softly through their hair. Kuroo glanced down at Daichi, his mouth covered by his brown scarf, the tip of his nose starting to take in some colours.

“Do you plan to drink?” he asked.

Daichi shook his head.

“I’m taking care of my liver. Plus, I never drank, so I don’t want to embarrass myself in case I do anything foolish.”

“I have my cellphone. I can record it and show it to you later,” Kuroo teased, and that gained him a solid hit on his rib from Daichi’s elbow. He shrieked.

“I’ll murder you if you do that.”

 _You’ve been murdering me ever since I met you and I’m still being murdered everytime you smile at me_ , Kuroo thought.

Standing in front of the izakaya, Daichi slid the door open and entered first. Kuroo tilted his head down, pushed the welcome banner away from his face and followed Daichi.

The room was full of laughter and chatters, glasses tinkling and the smell of food filled the air. They took off their shoes and walked on the tatami mats toward their table—the farthest in the room—where everyone was sitting on a cushion.

Kuroo recognized some faces he’d seen in the college’s hallway, but just like Daichi, he wasn’t friends with them, less alone acquaintances. There was one person who caught Kuroo’s attention. His back was facing them, a dark-colored designer shirt on him.

Kuroo’s frown deepened as he walked closer to the table, following Daichi’s steps.

He remembered that undercut.

Those earrings.

The way those eyes were looking at Daichi on the court.

“Sawamura-san! It’s so nice to see you again!”

Kuroo’s face scrunched. What was that man doing here?

“Terushima?” Daichi replied.

“I’m so glad you remember my name!” said the blonde excitedly, leaping out from his seat and proceeded to throw himself on Daichi.

His face bumped hardly on something bigger than his expectations. As he lifted his head, he was greeted by Kuroo’s polite smile, Daichi being shoved behind him, a confused expression on his face.

“Terushima Yuuji, what a coincidence in meeting you here,” said Kuroo with his feigned friendly voice. “I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself the last time. My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, I’m Sawamura Daichi’s friend.”

 

* * *

 

As it turned out, one of Terushima’s friend was friends with Daichi’s classmate. The more the merrier, so he showed up as well, no one knowing that Terushima actually inquired if a specific second year sempai would be at the party as well.

Sitting across the table and his brown eyes shining as he excitedly asked Daichi all sorts of questions, Terushima barely paid any attention to Kuroo who was sitting next to Daichi. Four squared tables were aligned together in order to fit the twenty people. There was barely any space left.

Kuroo had a hard time trying to find a comfortable position without bumping anyone with his long legs and when he thought he finally got it, Daichi’s thighs were pressed against his.

He held his breath and tried not to be conscious about it, but he wondered if the gods were testing him whenever Daichi’s arm brushed against his when he reached to grab some food, when Daichi’s fingers touched Kuroo’s when he rested his crossed arms on the table or when Daichi laughed at someone’s comment and his head would tilt to the side and rest on Kuroo’s shoulder for a few seconds.

Everytime Daichi moved, the smell of food would fade away, his scent lightly replacing it. Kuroo liked Daichi’s scent. He smelled like the wind and something that reminded Kuroo of mountains and trees.

“Sawamura-san, what do you do when you have spare time?” Terushima asked curiously.

Daichi took a sip of water, his action causing his arm to be pressed against Kuroo’s.

“Let’s see…,” he said as his eyes wandered from left to right. “Continue with my college assignments, jogging, cleaning up, gaming with Kuroo and Bokuto, watch movies with Kuroo, steal some of Kuroo’s recipes, trying out new restaurants with Kuroo, getting dragged around the city by Kuroo—"

Terushima frowned.

“What do you mean “ _getting dragged around_?”” Kuroo complained.

“You never tell me where we are going and just drag me everywhere, acting all mysterious with your “ _come on, Sawamura!”_ ”Daichi defended himself.

“You say that, but I know you actually enjoyed it,” Kuroo said smugly.

His smirk slowly faded away when Daichi’s hand reached for his face. Kuroo froze, unsure of this action’s motive. His eyes traveled from Daichi’s hand to his face, only to see Daichi’s big brown eyes staring at his mouth. Kuroo unconsciously held his breath.

The calloused hand landed at the corner of his upper lip.

When Daichi retrieved his hand, something was on his finger.

“You have some red bean paste on you,” he said with a grin, then brought his finger to his mouth. “Wow, that mochi is sweeter than I thought.”

If it wasn’t for the twenty other people surrounding them, Kuroo would have combusted into ashes already. Eyes wide staring back at Daichi and unable to make a sound, he brought one hand to his face to cover his mouth.

His cheeks were burning. This whole room was too warm; he needed air.

“…you guys seemed pretty intimate to me.”

Terushima’s voice brought Kuroo’s sanity back down to earth. He stood up suddenly and making sure to avoid eye contact with Daichi or Terushima, Kuroo announced loudly, “T-TO-TOILET!”

Two straddles and Kuroo disappeared behind the shoji screen, Daichi’s eyes following him and fixated on Kuroo’s flushed ears.

 

* * *

 

Kuroo Tetsurou, second year in college, had been asked out a few times since high school but never dated anyone.

Kuroo Tetsurou, volleyball player with his natural look capable in getting anyone he desired, had zero experience in love but a solid hopeless crush on his friend.

Hands gripping on the toilet’s countertop, head hung between his stretched-out arms, Kuroo took deep breaths in hope to calm himself. Flashback to Daichi’s gaze on his mouth and licking his finger off, Kuroo cursed and opened the faucet with too much strength. He bent down, splashed water on his burning face repeatedly and breathed.

“Get a grip of yourself, Tetsu,” he whispered to himself.

He stared at the mirror. His face was now pink-colored, the hair fallen in front of his face wet. He took some paper and dried himself before patting his cheeks lightly.

“Okay, you can do this.”

 

* * *

 

The room had a sudden burst of laughter when Kuroo stepped out of the restroom. He was ready to face Daichi, to pretend everything was okay. He was even ready to sacrifice his pride and make an embarrassing excuse if needed. He was ready to face off anything, but definitely not what was happening right in front of his eyes upon arriving at their table.

Their backs facing him, Terushima had changed place and was now sitting next to Daichi. He had an arm around Daichi’s hips comfortably as if it was meant to be there all along. Daichi was laughing, his body slumped against Terushima’s, his head resting on his shoulder.

A raise of heartbeat.

A breath held in.

Wide eyes refusing what was shown before him.

There was a pain in his chest slowly making itself feel greater, but before it could mercifully tear off Kuroo’s being in half, he clenched his teeth and made his way toward them.

Terushima’s laugh came to a stop when he felt a heavy presence behind him. The next thing he knew, Daichi was snatched away from him and held close against Kuroo’s chest in a protective, yet possessive way.  

“Don’t touch him.”

Words were said calmly, but the strong voice contained great anger just as much as the golden glare laid on Terushima. There was no feigned polite smile from Kuroo anymore, nor any pretended friendliness.

Startled, Terushima forgot to reply, less alone to express any protest.

“Kuroo? Kuroo you’re baaack,” said Daichi happily while throwing his arms around Kuroo’s neck.

“Wha—"

Kuroo almost fell over if not for his arm pressed on the table balancing himself with Daichi’s weight on him. Daichi’s face was flushed, his eyes sloppy and a little bit glossy. Kuroo frowned.

“Sawamura, did you drink?” Kuroo asked as he put both hands on Daichi’s cheeks, watching him closely.

“No wayyy~ I said I wouldn’t drink.”

“You’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk, I’m totally fine.”

“That’s what every drunk person would say.”

A classmate from the next table giggled and said, “I think earlier he took the wrong glass thinking it was water and chugged it.”

Kuroo narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t liking any of this.

“What was in that glass?”

The classmate asked some friends around her and turned to Kuroo again. “It was Sakuraba’s glass, so it’s most definitely shochu.”

Kuroo’s eye widened. One arm holding Daichi from slumping on the floor, his other arm reached for the closest shochu bottle on the table. 35%.

“Holy fuck…”

He looked at Daichi and the latter wasn’t able to keep his eyes open anymore. He was laying on top of Kuroo’s chest, his nose nuzzling on the fabric of his shirt, a content smile on his face.

“Ok, that’s it,” Kuroo announced as he forcefully zipped Daichi’s jacket and tangled his scarf around his face. “We’re going home.”

 

* * *

 

The wind was freezing that night, but Kuroo hardly felt the cold with Daichi on his back. He walked slowly, choosing small roads where no one would take in case Daichi felt like throwing up.

Daichi moved, a groan muffled by his scarf.

“Sawamura? Are you okay? Do you need to throw up?”

Kuroo felt Daichi press his head against the back of his neck and shook it. His short hair brushed Kuroo’s skin, he could smell Daichi’s shampoo.

Daichi took a deep breath and sighed comfortably, his arms locked around Kuroo’s neck.

“Kuroo.”

“Hm?”

“Kurooo.”

“Yeah?”

“Kuroooo~”

Kuroo let out a soft chuckle and couldn’t help but smile at Daichi’s lazy voice.

“I’m here,” he replied.

Daichi giggled at that reply, then hugged Kuroo a tad tighter.

“Kuroo, you’re a nerd.”

“And you’re drunk.”

“What’s with your stupid height anyway? You’re even taller than when you were in high school.”

Kuroo smirked at that comment.

“So you’ve got no more filter when you’re drunk, huh? Go on, tell me more.”

Daichi started swinging his legs playfully.

“Your legs are so long despite not being Lev.”

“Sawamura, what’s with that compliment.”

“Your fingers are slender and pretty.”

Had Daichi been observing his fingers before? Kuroo blushed at that thought.

“Your blocks are amazing, it always makes me feel so proud to be on the court with you.”

Kuroo might have asked for compliments, but he realized he just dug his own grave as he didn’t expect them to be some killer weapon. He was glad Daichi was drunk, otherwise he would have noticed that idiotic grin and the faint blush on his face.

“Your hair is a mess…”

“Leave my hair out of this.”

“…but you look very handsome with it.”

Kuroo’s legs came to a stop. Standing under a lamppost, he wasn’t sure if he heard it correctly despite Daichi’s face being right next to his ear, each of his breaths warming it.

“You think I’m handsome?” he cautiously asked.

He felt Daichi nod and press his cheeks on Kuroo’s neck. It felt hot.

“Very,” Daichi said.

Kuroo’s heartbeat was racing so fast, he felt like it was going to burst. He couldn’t help the massive grin plastered on his face and definitely didn’t recall how and when he ended up standing in front of Daichi’s apartment.

“Sawamura, keys,” he said softly as he shook his shoulders slightly in case Daichi fell asleep.

“Hm… left pocket.”

Once inside, Kuroo helped him take off his shoes and his jacket, then let Daichi down on his bed. He came back to the room where Daichi was laying with his arms spread wide.

“Here, drink some water,” Kuroo said while lifting Daichi up and setting him on his lap.

Daichi took the glass and after staring at it for a while, he lifted his head and looked at Kuroo intensely without saying anything.

“W-what is it?”

Daichi’s smile was soft, his eyes narrowed and filled with love as he said, “You’re so nice, Kuroo.”

Kuroo gulped. He almost pushed Daichi down.

“…I’m only nice to you,” he whispered softly as Daichi proceeded to drink his water slowly.

“Kuroo’s lover would be a very lucky person,” Daichi said while handing the glass back to him. “How come you’re still single? You’re good looking, you’re tall, you’re good at volleyball and you’re a nice person. Who wouldn’t want that?”

 _But you don’t want me_ , he thought, and bit his lips to swallow that bitter thought.

“I wonder…” he simply replied.

Daichi yawned and it was then that Kuroo checked the time. It was past midnight.

“I should go now,” he said as get proceeded to get up.

There was a resistance when he stood up. Daichi was grabbing Kuroo’s hand, his grip gentle. His brows were slightly frowned, his cheeks still flushed.

“Won’t you stay the night?” he inquired with a small voice. Seeing Kuroo not reacting, he added, “Please?”

Kuroo wanted to cry, not because Daichi was unbearably adorable and tempting, but because he was making everything more difficult for Kuroo. He planned to give up. He planned to gradually let go of Daichi, to bury his feelings as if they never existed so he could remain friends with him. However, everytime Daichi wrecked his plans, making him fall even more hopelessly in love with him.

One glance. A laugh. A brush of their fingers. It all made him crave for more.

It scared him. He feared the day he’ll lose control. He feared just how much this one-sided love would grow more than it had already.

Kuroo opened his mouth, ready to refuse. Daichi’s hand squeezed Kuroo’s firmly.

Words couldn’t come out from Kuroo’s mouth. His eyes were pleading Daichi to spare him. His mouth opened and closed, his voice unable to come out. He slumped his shoulders and showed Daichi a soft smile.

“Okay, I’ll stay,” he promised him.

_After tonight, I’m never setting a foot in your apartment. It’s either that, or I’m losing you forever._

Kuroo walked to the small bed, his hand still caught in Daichi’s. It felt so warm.

He sat on the floor, his head resting on his free hand. Daichi laid on his side to watch Kuroo, a small chuckle escaping from his lips.

“Are you that happy that I’m staying?”

The hand held by Daichi was pulled closer to his chest as he smiled. “I enjoy spending my time with you.”

“A sober Daichi would die a hundred times before saying anything like that.”

Kuroo watched as Daichi giggled and linked their fingers, his eyelids heavy. Soon, his chest lifted and fell on a constant rhythm.

Kuroo grabbed the comforter, covered Daichi and turned the nightlight off, plunging the room into darkness. His golden eyes adjusted to the darkness in a moment, only a faint light from the lamppost in front of the apartment and the moon hidden behind the dusty clouds poured a faint light on Daichi’s sleeping face.

 

* * *

 

Daichi couldn’t move. He wanted to open his eyes, but tiredness made him lay there and keep his eyes shut. His mind was hazy, unsure if he was dreaming or not.

He felt something softly rubbing circles on the back of his hand, the one where he seemed to be holding something. Then, a touch on his head, soon becoming what he assumed were long fingers brushing his hair. It felt nice.

The hand traveled lower, a thumb drawing the shape of his brow; and lower, where a palm cupped his cheek. It stayed there for a while, caressing his face so gently and carefully as if Daichi was something so precious that needed to be handled with such care.

A finger brushed his lips. And again.

A thumb gently parted them, then traced its shape slowly.

“Daichi...”

That voice.

He almost didn’t recognize it because of how broken it sounded, but he knew the owner of that voice.

“… _Daichi_.”

Kuroo.

But Kuroo never called him Daichi.

“ _Daichi._ ”

The thing he seemed to be holding in his hand tightened. He realized then that it was a hand. The fingers intertwined with his felt long and slightly calloused.

Daichi used his remained strength to open his eyes. He had to, because Kuroo’s voice calling him out was desperate. There was pain in that small voice, so much that it ached Daichi what could possibly hurt Kuroo to the point it made him sound so wretched.

His eyes could barely be opened for a few seconds, but it was long enough for Daichi to decipher certain things. It was dark and the faint moonlight showering the room was partially blocked by the curtains, making it hard to see Kuroo’s face. Kuroo’s head was hang low, his messy hair filling up most of Daichi’s vision.

He wondered if Kuroo was asleep and imagined the voice. Warm droplets of water landed on his free hand, faint sobs reached his ears. When Daichi narrowed his eyes, he thought he saw Kuroo’s back trembling slightly.

There were a mix of soft sniffles, more tears wetting the bedsheet and broken whispers of Daichi’s name on Kuroo’s lips.

If Daichi was sober, he’d hurry up and hold Kuroo tightly until his tears would stop; he’d stay close to him for as long as Kuroo would need. But his eyelids were heavy, and his body unresponsive. Before his mind slipped away, he only gave a gentle squeeze to the hand he was holding.

 

* * *

 

When Daichi opened his eyes, it was only six in the morning. His head was heavy, and upon wanting to rub his eyes, it was only then that Daichi saw his entwined fingers with Kuroo’s.

He recalled the feeling of those hands squeezing his and how warm they felt. He couldn’t help but rub his thumbs softly on that hand while observing them for a little longer. Kuroo’s fingers were longer and slender than his; his hands beautiful with its muscles and bones well-defined. He’ll never admit to Kuroo that he had been stealing glances at those hands during practice at first, then whenever Kuroo grabbed a canned juice; how he handled a game console; the fluid motions whenever he wrote on a paper…  

Kuroo was still asleep while sitting on the floor, his head resting on the bed, his free arm laying next to his face. Daichi gently pushed away the hair hiding Kuroo’s face, noticing the swollen corner of his eyes.

_Is he really just a friend? He’s not really behaving like one, though._

That was what Terushima asked back at the izakaya after Kuroo excused himself. He then teased Daichi so much, Daichi felt bashful and chugged his water to cool himself. He couldn’t remember much from it afterwards. There were glimpses, but some in which Daichi couldn’t be certain if it really happened or he imagined it.

He recalled feeling comfortably snuggled on someone’s back while the wind cooled his face. He felt so good, his mouth just blurted out everything that came to his mind. Then, a broken voice and a trembling back.

Daichi gently stroked the swollen skin with his finger. Kuroo made a small hum, his golden eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times. His gaze lifted, meeting with Daichi’s.

Kuroo smiled, and it wasn’t any sneaky kind of smile or his trademark smirk. It was a loving smile, the kind of smile one would give upon seeing their lover after a long time.

“Daichi,” Kuroo called out softly before letting out a small chortle.

Daichi forgot to breathe for a second. There was so much affection put in his name, he wasn’t prepared for it to affect him that much.

He took in a breath and forgot to release it when Kuroo’s free hand went to cup his pink-colored cheek. Kuroo stroked it lovingly, then his eyelids slowly hid his golden eyes again. His back slowly rose up and down on a constant rhythm, a peaceful expression on his face.

It was impossible for Daichi to fall back asleep. His heart was thumping loudly, he almost feared that it could awaken Kuroo. He looked down at their interlaced fingers held against his chest and wondered why he didn’t feel the urge to release them upon seeing it.


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed since Kuroo left Daichi’s apartment as if nothing happened. It shouldn’t bother the latter, but when Kuroo started visiting him less frequently, his text messages cut short and lunch time was shared with only Bokuto, it bothered Daichi more than he wanted it to.

“Bokuto, I think Kuroo hates me.”

As Daichi waited for the situation to remedy by itself, a month had passed and seeing that nothing had changed, Daichi finally voiced out his problem during his break. Bokuto took two bites of his sandwich, almost half of it gone after those bites.

“Oya oya?” he simply said with his mouth full.

Daichi slumped his shoulders, a troubled face staring at his own lunch.

“When we get to hang out a little, he acts like usual, but I don’t know…” Daichi said while pushing his lunchbox toward Bokuto. “All I can think of is that time I accidentally drank during that party and maybe I caused him some trouble afterwards.”

Bokuto swallowed the last bite of his sandwich and proceeded to finish off Daichi’s leftover.

“Don’t just eat,” Daichi complained lazily. “Say something.”

“Ya know Sawamura,” Bokuto started without lifting his gaze from the lunchbox and shoved food into his big mouth. “I really don’t think he’d hate you. I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”

Daichi frowned. “How can you be so sure?”

“It’s Kuroo!” Bokuto simply exclaimed. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s not enjoying how things are right now either.”

Daichi flopped on the table with a groan, his phone in his hand, Kuroo’s contact displayed on the screen. How can a science nerd cat manage to make him feel this awful anyway?

 

* * *

 

It took a while before Daichi got to hang out with Kuroo. It was Sunday, but the air was chilly as the rain fell down. They were chatting in Kuroo’s living room after watching a random movie. Daichi watched as Kuroo poured some juice in his glass, how he threw his head back and laughed at something Daichi said or propped his chin on his hand and looked at him. He looked just like usual.

Their conversation was interrupted when someone knocked on the door. Kuroo left for a few minutes before popping his head from the doorframe.

“Sa’amura, I’m heading out for a minute. The landlady’s cat can’t get down from the tree and no one’s around to help out.”

“Do you need me to come along?”

“Nah, it’s fine. It’s not the first time, it’ll be over really quick.”

He heard the door shut. It was quiet for a few minutes before Daichi heard a cat hiss awfully loud from the window, followed by a disapproving meow and an “ow!” from Kuroo.

Concerned, Daichi got up from the couch and headed to the door when it opened and a drenched Kuroo walked in.

“I can’t believe Maru slapped me. We used to get along so well, I even got her canned food when she was locked outside once.”

Kuroo’s sweater was sopping wet, droplets of water falling from his hair sticking to his face. It was the first time Daichi had seen Kuroo’s hair down. It was new for him and he couldn’t help but stare.

“Sawamura, you okay? Your face is kinda red. Maybe I did turn the heater too high.”

Daichi flinched when Kuroo pressed his cold palm on his forehead, his golden eyes studying his reaction. Daichi gulped, then pushed Kuroo hurriedly toward the bathroom.

“Go change! I don’t wanna deal with you getting a cold and there’s water all over the floor!”

Kuroo laughed cheerfully, emptied his pockets by putting his keys, cellphone and some crumbled paper on the kitchen counter before disappearing into the bathroom.

When Daichi heard the shower being turned on, he let out a sigh of relief. His hand cupped his own cheeks. They felt hot. One of his hands went to be placed on his chest where it was racing too fast a moment ago.

Daichi collapsed on the couch—face hitting it first—while letting out a groan. He wasn’t understanding any of this. The only thing he knew for certain was that Kuroo was already very attractive in his eyes; however, a Kuroo drenched by the rain was illegal. It almost made him dysfunctional.

In the middle of his struggle, a phone rang. Daichi followed the sound, his eyes landing on Kuroo’s cellphone left on the counter. He glanced at the screen in case it was some emergency, only to find that the caller was Bokuto. He picked up the call.

“Oh hey, Kuroo? Are you still acting tough and pretending everything is under control? Did everything go well after that?”

“After what?” Daichi asked confusedly.

“After you and- oh wait. Sawamura, is that you?”

“Uh-huh. What’s up?”

“You’re picking up Kuroo’s phone now? Did you guys make up?”

Actually, Daichi wasn’t sure about their situation and with Kuroo acting as if nothing happened between them, it was making it difficult for Daichi to bring up the subject.

“Uh… I’m not sure…” he replied.

He heard some distraction coming from Bokuto’s side.

“Oya oya? I’ll get the details next time I see you! Hey, can you tell Kuroo to give back the game I lent him last month? I’ll need it when Akaashi comes to visit the next time.”

After promising to deliver the message, the call ended, the screen revealing a homescreen half-filled by a variety of applications. Daichi was about to leave the phone on the counter when his brows frowned, his eyes locked on the screen. His breath was cut short.

He recognized that picture.

He took out his own phone, scrolled trough his gallery as his heartbeat accelerated. The scrolling stopped, his screen showing the same picture in both phones.

It was the picture taken by Hinata in memory of the third years.

The picture was cropped in Kuroo’s homescreen, showing only Daichi’s bright smile and his reddened cheeks.

Daichi stared at the phone, incapable to make a sound, his mind unable to process the information.

He only remembered to breathe when he heard the bathroom door open and with a lightening speed, he put the phone back on the counter, his heartbeat thumping too loud.

Kuroo came into the room, a towel hanging on his neck, a new sweater with a cat’s print on him.

“Sawamura, are you sure you’re feeling okay? Your face is as red as Nekoma’s volleyball uniform.”

Seeing Daichi frozen on the spot, eyes staring at him as if he was a stranger he had never met, Kuroo moved forward. He was standing a little too close while peering into Daichi’s face. He wondered why was it just now that he noticed Kuroo having to bend a little to study his face and how broad were his shoulders. As if the room wasn’t warm enough, the hot air coming from Kuroo following up his shower was making him dizzy.

Daichi quickly hid his face with his arms, his feet leading him to the couch where he left his coat.

“I-I’m fine!” His voice came out louder than he expected it. “I, uh— I forgot I have a paper due tomorrow!”

Daichi stormed out from the apartment so fast, he didn’t see Kuroo’s perplexed expression nor did he hear him scream “Wait— umbrella!”.

He needed to cool down. And fast.

 

* * *

 

Instead of heading straight to his apartment, Daichi took a longer route. It was late, the streets empty with only some old lampposts brightening the small road. He wasn’t minding the rain pouring even stronger and water soaking his sneakers. He only needed time to think.

His eyes didn’t deceive him; that was clearly his own face in Kuroo’s phone. As oblivious as Daichi could be, he was certain that friends don’t usually use another friend’s face as a phone’s background picture.

Digging in his memories, it slowly came to him one after another, dots being connected.

Ever since they started college, there were moments when Daichi caught Kuroo glimpsing in his direction, sometimes with a faint blush. He didn’t think much about it back then. He also understood why Kuroo always averted his eyes after practice and shoved a shirt on Daichi when he was taking too much time to get dressed.

There were many timid glances, soft touches, colored cheeks.

Playful smirks, cheerful laughter, loving smiles.

There was a lump in Daichi’s throat.

His hand covering his mouth, he stared at the puddle of rainwater on the pavement, the reflection showing a dumbfounded Daichi with flushed cheeks.


	4. Chapter 4

When Daichi blurted out his excuse, Kuroo didn’t completely buy it. However, before he could ask anything, Daichi already took off and when Kuroo ran after him with an umbrella in hand, Daichi was nowhere in sight.

There were no messages from Daichi since that rainy day. At college, Kuroo would notice Daichi from afar, seeming lost in thought. He wondered if it was best to leave things like this. After all, he did make the effort to reduce their meetings, hoping that distance would somehow erase his feelings. However, spotting Daichi in college left him questioning if he had made the right choice and meeting him made him wonder if he really needed to give up. He simply couldn’t bring himself to think that he should let go of Daichi completely.

Kuroo left the kombini with his supper in hand after submitting his lab report. He usually left the lab earlier on Fridays and would meet up with friends, but lately he didn’t feel like going out and be surrounded by people and it wasn’t as if he had anything interesting to do back at his apartment.

As he strolled back to his place, the sky was already dark and street lamps switched on one after another. Kuroo pulled his scarf higher, a stream of air escaping from it and faded under the dim light. When he climbed up the stairs leading to his apartment, a figure was sitting in front of his door.

Arms wrapped around his legs, Daichi was looking at the sky before he noticed Kuroo standing in a close distance. His brown eyes showed a sudden burst of energy upon seeing the taller man.

“Welcome back. Do you always come back this late on Fridays?” he asked with a faint smile as he stood up.

“I’m sorry, were we supposed to meet up? I haven’t checked my messages today…” Kuroo said while rummaging through his pockets for his phone.

Daichi scratched his pink colored cheeks, his voice low. “Um… actually, I wanted to see you and didn’t think of sending you a message beforehand…”

The tip of his nose was tainted in red, as well as his ears.

“How long have you been waiting for?”

Daichi’s round eyes averted Kuroo’s as he lied. “Not much. Ten minutes?”

“Sawamura, judging by the colors on your face, you’ve probably been waiting out here for hours.”

The color displayed on Daichi’s face darkened. “Okay, fine! I’ve been waiting for three hours…”

Kuroo bit his lip. He wasn’t going to put the blame on Daichi for not messaging him so he could’ve gotten home earlier; Daichi knew he would find an excuse and cancel their meeting just like the few times he did in the past weeks.

Kuroo apologized as he quickly unlocked the door, urging Daichi to come in while refusing the latter’s apologies for showing up unannounced.

 

* * *

 

Daichi accepted the cup of hot chocolate Kuroo handed him. Their fingers brushed when he went to grab the mug; Kuroo quickly removed his hand. They were chilled.

Daichi took a sip, then stared at the orange mug with the caption _Tight tights on thighs._ Since Daichi visited frequently, Kuroo bought it, saying that it reminded him of Daichi. A small smile showed up on his face as he remembered that its use was exclusively his.

Kuroo sat next to him, taking care as to put a little distance between them. After taking a sip, he almost dropped his mug when Daichi moved and settled next to him. Legs folded and feet on the couch, Daichi was pressed against Kuroo, their shoulders touching and arms squished.

“W-what’s wrong?” Kuroo questioned while trying to sound as normal as possible.

Daichi sipped on his chocolate. “Nothing. I’m cold.”

“I’ll go turn up the heater,” Kuroo suggested, only to be stopped by Daichi grabbing on the hem of his sweater.

“It’s fine, it’s warm when I stick close to you.”

Kuroo wanted to scream. Daichi seemed different. He noticed that his almond eyes were particularly piercing tonight, as if they were studying each and every reaction from him.

Kuroo placed his mug on the table and sunk on the couch with a small sigh. He flinched when Daichi adjusted his position to lay his head on Kuroo’s bicep. Kuroo hoped Daichi wouldn’t notice how hard he was trying to control his breathing.

“How have you been lately?” Daichi asked without looking up at Kuroo.

“Hm… pretty busy. Been trying to survive.”

“Is that so…” Daichi whispered.

There was a moment of silence in which Kuroo found it awkward. When he lowered his gaze on Daichi, the latter seemed comfortable, unbothered by the silence and Kuroo’s tense body.

As if sensing Kuroo’s awkwardness, Daichi spoke.

“I missed spending time with you,” he said softly as he tilted his head backwards, looking straight into Kuroo’s eyes. “I missed you.”

Kuroo’s heart clenched, a massive chain of mixed thoughts tangled together preventing him from thinking straight.

“Y-you’re acting funny, Sawamura,” Kuroo blurted out.

Daichi stretched his arm and placed his mug on the table.

“Am I?” he asked as he readjusted his position, slumping his whole body’s weight on Kuroo.

Kuroo bit inside his cheek, unsure about his next words. Ever since they started college, Kuroo thought he knew Daichi more than ever. However, in this moment, he felt like he was facing another man.

His train of thoughts were interrupted when Daichi slid his hand on Kuroo’s, his fingers gently wrapped around his. Kuroo’s fingers didn’t wrap them back; his whole being still debating if all of this was real.

“I’m sorry,” Daichi apologized. “…for looking at your phone.”

“My phone?”

Aside a picture of a pretty autumn landscape he took during one of his strolls that was used as his lockscreen picture, Kuroo couldn’t think what else Daichi could have seen. Chances of him knowing the password was pretty much zero.

“Bokuto called on your phone the other day. I picked it up.”

There was a sweat bead running down Kuroo’s temple.

“After the call, I saw the picture,” Daichi spoke as he lifted his gaze to meet Kuroo’s. “Your homescreen picture. That was me, right?”

Kuroo wished time would stop.

He had planned to change the picture soon, but everytime his eyes laid on Daichi’s smile, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. And now it’s too late. Daichi saw it and everything was going to end.

His face was pale as he stared horribly at Daichi, his palms starting to sweat and his heartbeat pounding so fast, it was threatening to burst. His whole body felt hot, panic quickly taking over his mind.

The following minute, the paleness was taken over by a dark shade of red spreading from his ears to his neck. As he reflexively wanted to yank his hand to cover his face, Daichi only tightened his grip stronger, forcing Kuroo to expose his embarrassment to him. With only one hand at his disposal, Kuroo covered his eyes, wishing Daichi would turn his earnest gaze away from him.

“I’m sorry, Sawamura!” Kuroo cried out, and once those words came out, he couldn’t stop anymore. “You’re probably weirded out and that’s completely understandable. I’ll stay away from you from today on, I’ll stop messaging you, I’ll act like usual during practice… I just— These feelings just grew so much I can’t— _"_

His voice was desperate, it was impossible for Kuroo to think straight. He wished Daichi would pick up his stuffs and leave him alone so he could blame himself for screwing up their friendship. Instead, Daichi’s hand never released Kuroo’s.

There was a stillness that made Kuroo impatient, his desire to dig a hole and crawl in it growing stronger by the minute, but his embarrassment kept him motionless, hand hiding his eyes, his head turned away from Daichi.

“How big have those feelings grown?” he heard Daichi ask faintly.

Refusing to face Daichi as his mouth opened up, Kuroo’s cheeks heated up.

“I… like playing volleyball with you,” Kuroo started quietly. “I like being close to you and seeing you smile. I like your voice, how you sound when you laugh and when you call my name. I like how nice you are to people, how big your heart is.”

There was a faint jerk from the calloused hand holding Kuroo’s, its temperature growing warmer as Kuroo continued.

“I want to hug you in my arms, bury my face into your neck and wake up with you next to me. I want to pull you close and meet your lips. I want to spoil you, give you all the love you deserve...” He paused for a moment, then softly, “I’d do anything for you.”

It was quiet. He waited for a reply from Daichi, wondering if he crept him away. The weight squishing him at his left side confirmed him that Daichi was still there.

“Can you remove that hand hiding your face for me?”

Slowly, Kuroo slid down his hand, his view revealing a comfortable Daichi snuggled against him. Seeing Kuroo’s bashful expression, Daichi looked away, his face flushed as he said, “You know, we should take a photo together. I wouldn’t mind if you use that one as your background picture.”

Kuroo blinked twice. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I’m getting what you’re suggesting.”

Daichi lifted the hand he’d been holding and hit it on Kuroo’s stomach.

“And here I thought you were smart,” Daichi pouted, then sighed. His warm eyes stared right into Kuroo’s. “I’m sorry for not noticing your feelings sooner and for hurting you all this time.”

His other hand came up and stroked Kuroo’s rigid hand. Kuroo watched as Daichi continued to speak, redness intensifying on his face, his legs fidgeting.

“If your feelings toward me haven’t vanished yet- if there’s still the slightest feeling left from you… is it alright for me to accept them? …or am I too late?”

A glint lightened up in Kuroo’s eyes. His mouth agape, he forced words to leave his mouth.

“A-are you being serious right now?”

“I don’t joke when it comes to being in a relationship with you,” Daichi replied with a small smile.

From the pressure of uncertainty crushing his chest, it was now filled with a burst of bliss. The feeling was so overwhelming, Kuroo felt tears building up in his eyes. It burned in the nicest way.

He grinned cheekily at Daichi and while wrapping his fingers around his, he gently said, “You’re not too late.”

Daichi gave him a sheepish smile, then slowly shifted his body, his head resting on Kuroo’s chest. He breathed in, taking in Kuroo’s scent as he nuzzled his nose in the fabric of his sweater.

“Is this really happening?” Kuroo muttered to himself. “Maybe this is a dream.”

“If you wake up tomorrow and pretend like none of this happened, I will beat the shit out of you,” Daichi threatened with his face still buried in Kuroo’s chest.

Arms wrapped around Daichi and hands resting on his back, Kuroo hugged him closer. “I just can’t believe you’re really here…” Kuroo purred.

When Daichi lifted his gaze, Kuroo was watching him lovingly, his large hand stroking his cheek. The look on Kuroo’s face made Daichi feel giddy and lower his gaze where it stopped on Kuroo’s lips. They were prettily defined, an alluring color making them look appealing.

“Can you… give me a kiss?” Daichi heard himself ask shyly.

There wasn’t a thing Kuroo would refuse from Daichi and certainly not a kiss. Kuroo obeyed and gave him a small peck on his cheek. When he pulled away, Daichi’s brows were slightly creased, his lips pouting.

“Not like that…” he complained with his heated face. His brown eyes avoided Kuroo before coming back again, fixated on a target.

Kuroo followed his gaze and sucked in a breath upon realizing Daichi ogling at his lips. He gulped.

A thumb brushed Daichi’s warm cheek, his free hand slowly tilted his head as Kuroo leaned in and gently met Daichi’s lips.

It was a chaste kiss, a little shy and reserved; yet it sent butterflies in Kuroo’s stomach, an overflowing feeling of happiness consuming him. Daichi’s lips were slightly chapped, but so soft and pleasant, Kuroo could spend hours kissing them.

When their lips separated, Kuroo rested his forehead on Daichi’s, still dazed by the feeling of it. Daichi’s arms stretched and wrapped them around Kuroo’s neck. Kuroo felt the pounding heartbeat coming from Daichi’s chest pressed against his, his hot breath brushing his skin.

“…more,” Daichi pleaded quietly.

Kuroo didn’t need to be told twice. He lifted Daichi up so he could be settled on his lap. One hand placed on Daichi’s hips and the other one caressing his neck, Kuroo reached for those lips.

It started with small smooches gradually evolving into long kisses, both longing for more. Daichi’s hands were caressing Kuroo’s face and burying his fingers in his messy dark hair while Kuroo’s were tilting Daichi’s neck, gifting him many kisses from different angles, his other hand pulling him even closer.

Their breaths were rugged, only a mere second was allowed for the other one to breathe before lips were stolen again.

“Open your mouth for me?” Kuroo whispered between two breaths.

Daichi did as told and his muffled gasp was soon replaced by a pleased hum when Kuroo’s tongue slipped in. It explored the inside of his mouth, tasted his timid tongue then coaxed it to do the same.

Daichi’s back arched as he deepened the kiss, his hands were now gripped on Kuroo’s shoulders for support. When Kuroo sucked on his tongue, Daichi squirmed in his arms and couldn’t help but let out a moan when Kuroo’s tongue brushed a particular spot inside his mouth.

It was all new to them and too much. Their minds were hazy; their breaths short.

“Sensitive, aren’t you?” Kuroo noticed with a smirk, a thin trail of saliva hanging between his lips and Daichi’s.

“Shut up,” Daichi blushed harder, his thumb whisking away the saliva on Kuroo’s lip.

Daichi looked at Kuroo without saying a word. This time, Kuroo didn’t bother the silence, not when Daichi’s face was flushed, his lips red and shiny after all that kissing and gazing at him with such tenderness. Kuroo simply smiled back at him, his palms cradling Daichi’s face.

Daichi leaned in to his touch, one hand on top of the one cupping his cheek, the other one brushing back Kuroo’s hair before he hunched over and placed his lips on Kuroo’s once again. Kuroo hummed appreciatively, letting Daichi take over his mouth.

Daichi’s kisses were sweet and timid, his lips grazing Kuroo’s as he pulled away just enough to breathe before he claimed them again. Kuroo never expected Daichi to end up kissing him with much fervour, a glint of thirst in the way he pressed his lips on Kuroo’s, sucked on them and bit the lower one gently, then licked it as if to remove any pain he might have induced. It left the taller man breathless and moaning in his mouth, his state of mind in a daze and unable to protest when Daichi pushed him down on the couch.

“Never thought you’d be this passionate, Sawamura,” Kuroo breathed out, his chest rising up and down heavily.

Bent on top of Kuroo, Daichi licked his lips, earnest chestnut eyes peering straight into Kuroo’s golden ones.

“Did my feelings come through to you?” he asked quietly.

Arms wrapped around Daichi’s waist, they pulled him in so he could lay on Kuroo’s chest. One hand stroking Daichi’s cheek with the back of his fingers, his golden eyes revealed the fondest look Daichi had ever seen.

“Maybe I’ll figure it out with another kiss,” Kuroo whispered.

Daichi let out a small sigh along with a smile. His head resting on Kuroo’s chest, he listened to his heartbeat as he breathed in, content.

It was only a moment later that a faint sound of water reached to his ears. When Daichi raised his chin to peer at the window, the sky was pitch-black, rain falling hard on the pavement.

“I should leave,” Daichi said as he got up.

He was quickly pulled back and repositioned on top of Kuroo, his arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders.

“It’s pouring out there. You’re not going anywhere,” Kuroo stated, his nose nuzzling in Daichi’s neck.

“I’ll have you know that last time I walked home in this weather too.”

“I ran after you with an umbrella, but I didn’t find you. I’m not letting that happen again.”

Feeling giddy upon hearing that Kuroo had ran after him, Daichi curled up in his arms, his face hiding in Kuroo’s broad shoulders.

“I’ll borrow your umbrella and return it to you tomorrow?” Daichi suggested.

Kuroo’s lips grazed Daichi’s ear, then nibbled it before they traveled lower and planted kisses on Daichi’s neck. Daichi gasped, his hands clenching tightly on Kuroo’s sweater. Kuroo chuckled.

“I do have an umbrella to spare, but I’m not lending it to you,” he said after bumping his forehead gently on Daichi’s. “Stay with me?”

Daichi lowered his gaze, blushing. “That’s cheating… you asking with that face…”

“Oh yeah, you did say that you found me handsome,” Kuroo noted with a smirk as he peered even closer, his nose touching Daichi’s. “ _Very_ handsome.”

“How do you kno— I never said that!”

“Don’t be shy, you confessed everything the night I piggybacked you back to your apartment after your classmate’s party.”

An impulse to push Kuroo away and run for the door rushed to him. Instead, Daichi hid his face behind his hands, embarrassment slowly killing him.

Kuroo giggled at him, his eyes noticing Daichi’s burning ears.

“What else did I say?”

Kuroo kissed Daichi’s hand as he listed, “You said that I’m tall, that my fingers are pretty, that I’m a good blocker and you begged me to stay the night. You were really adorable.”

“I’m never drinking ever again.”

 

* * *

 

Sunlight bathed the room and hit on Kuroo’s heavy eyelids. He woke up to the smell of the wind. Lowering his gaze, Daichi was snuggled in his arms, sound asleep. It put a warm smile on Kuroo’s face seeing Daichi sleeping peacefully, his face lightly colored in pink.

Leaning in and his fingers brushing Daichi’s messy hair, Kuroo gently kissed his forehead. As he moved away, Daichi jerked and slowly opened his eyes.

Kuroo watched Daichi stare at him with a sleepy face for several seconds before he smiled tenderly at him and said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Kuroo said softly.

Daichi chuckled at that, his arms slowly moving up to be wrapped around Kuroo’s neck. “Are we… lovers?” he asked in a low voice.

“We are,” Kuroo assured him, one had stroking Daichi’s cheek, his arm keeping him close.

“Good. Otherwise I’d hate to hit you this early in the morning.”

Waking up early was never Kuroo’s strength. However, if it meant for him to be able to spend more time with Sawamura Daichi, waking up early was a piece of cake.

At moments, Kuroo still couldn’t believe any of this was real. He confessed his feelings to Daichi- something he never thought he’d manage to achieve—and now Daichi was in his arms, his face so close, his breath brushing his neck.

“Daichi…” Kuroo softly called as he breathed out, his face buried in the crook of Daichi’s neck.

The arms wrapped around his neck pulled him in closer, a hand lazily playing with his messy hair.

“Brace yourself, handsome nerd,” Daichi warned with a sleepy yet loving voice. “Because I’m about to love you so hard, you’ll be drowning in happiness.”

Daichi felt a smile form from the lips pressed on his collarbone.

“I’m already drowning.”

It was a fine Saturday morning, and Kuroo had never felt this light before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't angst without happy ending so have them happy and sharing lots of kisses ;;;v;;;
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading and hope you enjoyed it as much as i wrote it!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Uh....first time writing a fic. I hope this is not too bad, please excuse any verb confusion or weird expressions....? ( ' ▽ ' ;)  
> And thank you so much for reading! 
> 
>  
> 
> [ Tumblr ](http://finnthebunneh.tumblr.com)


End file.
